carlmock

Just curious.. Does the lexus awd handle similar to an audi a4 with quattro?

I test drove a 250 awd a while back but the salesman was all over me to keep the speed down and we drove down a highway... (probably why I didnt buy from them)

friends have the quattro (one in an A4 and one in a TT) and the cars both handle amazingly in any kind of weather..

Is the lexus awd soley for wet weather traction or does it improve handling on dry pavement like quattro does?

Just wondering why lexus was trying to accomplish by adding awd to their lines..

pocky

iTrader: (12)

Mmm, Audi's Quattro is one of the best. Including Subaru.

I personally don't think the Lexus AWD system isn't BAD, but isn't the best. I pushed the AWD system to the limits last time, and it handled well, but it VSC system beep at me ALOT. So It kept limiting everything. But that's what it's there for.

mtnduc

Only buy an Audi if you're going to sell it as soon as the warranty expires!
Both my A6 & my sis-in-laws A4 were great cars ...... then the warranty expired and they start killing you're wallet!
My A6 was very clean, Dk Green, Tan leather, quattro, Bose, etc... the dealer offered me $1500 less than loan value to trade it on a new Passat. His comment was "Yes it's very clean but used Audis have no value"

Bichon

They might both be called "Quattro", but the one in the A4 is completely different than the one in the TT.

The A4, like all Audis with longitudinally mounted engines, has a Torsen differential. The Torsen is a really cool mechanical design. Torsen stands for "TORque SENsing" - it actually transfers torque before the wheel without traction starts slipping.

The TT has a transverse mounted engine, and doesn't have room for the Torsen, so Audi used a Haldex differential. The Haldex has sensors and lots of electronics to detect wheel slip, and uses fast acting multiplate clutches to transfer power when it detects wheels slipping.

I'm not sure which AWD system Lexus has chosen for the IS250AWD.

mcfly

Think of it this way:

My Subaru uses a pretty basic AWD setup... and open front diff with a limited slip rear. The AWD system is completely mechanical.

... and in the snow or rain, it's a monster. It'll go through anything, and it's seriously difficult to get it into anything resembling "out of control". It also oversteers nicely in the snow, making lots of tail out opposite lock fun possible.... but that's probably not what you're looking for.

Anyway, my point is, AWD is so superior to any 2wd setup (provided you're on the right tires) in bad weather, that it really doesn't matter what system Lexus used.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

subaru legacy GT gave the audi one hell of a run, GT didnt lost by much in the overall rankings and its a lot cheaper, was way faster than the Audi also, easily bolt onable to STi power

spwolf

who told you that quattro will improve handling on dry? That is actually not true. Only thing it will improve is traction in case you have a lot of horsepower. However, an FWD or RWD will still handle better.

This has been tested several times in case of audi, and german magazine Autobild found out that FWD Audi 3.0 V6 was faster on the track that 3.0 Quattro. Of course, it was not faster on ice (it was faster in rain though), and it wasnt anywhere as good is dead stop starts either (dry or wet).

As to the Subaru system, i am not sure if it is that good. Yes, it improves over FWD/RWD, but it is not as good as systems with electronic support. I just read today an test in Autobild where they had 5-6 different sedans (5, E class, Skoda, Outback) and Outback system had the worst results in every test. And they did about 10 different handling and braking tests, ice, snow, rain, slalom, everything. I know that goes against what is an common thinking but its a fact. Subaru system was the only one that was purely mechanical.

Toyota has huge experience with AWD. Nobody produces anywhere close to amount of AWD vehicles that Toyota does. Not only SUV's (like Land Cruiser, with 4 million examples sold and 55 year history), but about every Toyota car sold in Japan has an awd version - Yaris, Corolla, Camry for example. Funniest thing - Avensis which is produced uniquely in Great Britain and exported to Japan is produced in AWD, although that option does not exist in its European market version :-).

ShooExpert

The Lexus AWD is better than their RWD cars, but comparing it to an Audi Quattro system, is a very bad comparison.

IS350ISFUN

I agree...you can't compare the Lexus/Toyota AWD system with any Audi....The TT I had before..LIke on rails!!!

foofighter

the newer gen torsen system is tuned towards more sport...the bias is now 40 f and 60r...i believe the lexus drivetrain is biased like that as well. i've had 2 a4's quattro and a vw r32...the a4's quattro is a lot more fun because it's permanent whereas the r32 is fwd still there's slip.

i drove a gs awd and didnt get to put it through the pace so i cant say one is better than the other

as for up keep...i never kept my audi's past the warranty so i dont kno about the cost but i've heard from friends the cost to replace timing belts at 60k is not fun. plus resale on them is CRAP they keep doing facelifts every 3 years it's killing it for the owners

Pocketlint

I went from my 2001 A4 Quattro to the IS 250 AWD... I'll say simply that the ONLY advantage that the Audi had was the Quattro technology.

Both are proficient in poor weather, but the Audi just felt a little more stable.

That being said, the A4 was flawless until the warranty expired, and then it was 1300 bucks everytime it went on the lift. And the f***ing thing was on the lift ALOT.

foofighter

ahhh the venerable B5 chassis...those had some interesting quarks...coilpacks, bad joints in the link...I really want to know what sort of drivetrain Toyota uses for their AWD system.

Bichon

You can say that again. Take the 6 cylinder versions. On most cars, changing the thermostat in the cooling system is a 10 minute job that any DIYer can do himself for about $15 in parts. On this Audi, it's a $1,000+ job that involves removing the front bumper, swinging the radiator out of the way, removing the timing belt and a host of assorted other parts.

And don't even get me started on the power window mechanism, a fragile Rube Goldberg affair with plastic pulleys, wire, and brittle plastic guides that looks more like it came off a cheap home copy machine than a car. When it fails, which it does regularly - usually on a rainy day, the window falls down and won't come up. It's a $500 repair, and replacement involves removing and replacing the part of the door that includes the window frame. Getting the frame properly re-aligned on the door takes care -- something that dealership techs charging book labor are loathe to give. Depending on which way the tech misaligns it, expect at least one return visit either for wind noise or for a door that is difficult to close.

When it's working, the car does drive like a dream though....

Rockville

There's a magazine shootout title for you....The AWD power distribution in the IS250 is 30% front and 70% rear. It uses a planetary gear type center differential which is unique to Lexus. So far it has worked reliably. The only problem that has surfaced is the pronounced hump in the center console due to the planetary gearset being wider than a more conventional Torsen or open type. This led to a clearance issue with the carpet and gas pedal which was corrected. If the rear tires are losing grip then more power is allocated to the front wheels up to a 50%/50% distribution. The idea of the system was to simulate more of a RWD feel with less understeer in quick turning maneuvers. The Audi uses a FWD setup and converts it to AWD. AWD helps get power to the ground but can get in the way in quick back and forth type steering situations. It can also limit steering angle when making a U turn or parking. The Lexus IS250 has about a foot smaller turning circle. The IS250 uses an electric motor which is quicker, lighter and it eliminates hydraulic issues altogether. The "magazine" should test dry, wet and icy/snow conditions with slalom. Tires have to factored in etc. The Audi's2.0 inline Turbocharged 4 gets excellent torque throughout the RPM range and is quicker 0-60. The Audi weighs over 300 lbs less too. As has been stated many times dependability is the Achilles heel of Audi which is ranked #31 vs. Lexus #1.

Rock

y2ks2k

^^ Agree. Subby and Audi are number one but the Lexus system is way up there. Most AWD systems are crap, they are FWD cars until traction is needed. Its rare to get a RWD biased AWD system like on the IS250

but, I also think people over rate AWD. I drove my Sti for 2 1/2 years in the North West (aka, rain for 8 months trait)... There really wasn’t a time on the road that It was useful and I drive pretty hard. The track was different.

AWD does not necessarily help handling... in fact.... I would chose RWD (aka my S2000) on a track over AWD (aka my Sti)...